Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood is the site of one of the nation's first affordable housing developments meant for gay and lesbian seniors. Plans are under way to construct an 80-unit apartment building at the northwest corner of Halsted and Addison streets, considered the heart of the city's gay and lesbian community.

The site includes a former police station, one of the oldest in the nation. It will be refurbished and connected to the new six-story apartment building. Two other buildings currently on the site will be torn down. The project will be located adjacent to the Center on Halsted, a resource center for the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Financing for the new apartment building should be in place this fall, with construction expected to begin in 2012.

"This project will be a model for the Midwest," says Chicago 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney. "We worked hard to make this project happen."

A handful of housing projects designed for LGBT seniors are being planned across the country. So far, only a few have been built. A housing project for LGBT seniors is open in Los Angeles. The RainbowVision project in Sante Fe, N.M., offers condominiums, rental units, and an assisted living facility. Other buildings are planned for Philadelphia and San Francisco.

The Lakeview project, which hasn't been named yet, is being spearheaded by Heartland Housing, a Chicago-based developer of affordable housing. "Kudos to the city for taking the leadership on this project," says Michael Goldberg, executive director at Heartland Housing. "The city called for seniors housing targeting the LGBT community."

The Center on Halsted will provide programming for the building. The center currently offers referrals to seniors seeking affordable housing. The center also runs a home sharing program that matches seniors who can't afford to live alone.

The project architect is Gensler. The firm also designed the Center on Halsted which opened its new facility last year. The entire block will have a cohesive and modern look, those close to the project say. The contractor is Power Construction, of Chicago.

"This location is ideal," notes Goldberg. "The project will allow seniors to stay in the community and maintain their social network."

Affordable housing needed

Many seniors live on fixed incomes and can't afford the high rents in the trendy Lakeview neighborhood. A wave of condominium conversions in the 1980s and 1990s removed a large number of affordable apartment units from the neighborhood. Seniors often have to move to more affordable neighborhoods but then lose their community connections.

An added problem for LGBT seniors often comes when they move to some type of seniors housing project. "This generation has struggled with being out," says Modesto Valle, who heads the Center on Halsted. "When they move into a retirement home or assisted living facility, they can face discrimination all over again."

Even so, the new building will accept heterosexual seniors. Housing laws do not allow discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"Everyone is welcome," says Goldberg at Heartland Housing. The law does allow age restrictions, however. Residents of the Halsted building must be age 62 or older.

Also, residents must have a low income, under about $32,000 annually, in order to qualify for an apartment. Rents have not been determined yet. The developers hope to find rental subsidies so some residents will pay no more than 30 percent of their income for rent.

The building is meant for independent seniors. It will not offer meals.

The new building will have one-bedroom and studio apartments. Some commercial space, suited for medical offices, will be included on the first floor of the building facing Halsted Street. The old police station dates from the 1890s and is of historical significance, but not a landmarked building. The façade will probably be maintained though the interior will be reconfigured to include community rooms for classes and special events.

The Center on Halsted currently provides programming for about 80 to 100 seniors a week. "Our mission is to eliminate isolation," says Valle. Special programs are held three days a week, including a meal and keynote speaker on topics such as wellness and financial planning. In addition, the center holds classes on a range of topics including foreign languages, exercise, yoga, dancing and art.

In addition to building activities, residents will be able to use the resources available at the Center on Halsted. "We want to bring seniors out of their homes," notes Valle.

"We want them to get involved in programming so they can lead longer productive lives."